The Friends of the Poor Souls

An apostolate established on September 15, 2004, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, for the purpose of helping release the Holy Souls from Purgatory.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

November & December 2009

Dear Friends of the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

When praying please pray for the souls of our families, our friends, our enemies, all pagans, all priests and religious, the just, all sinners, and for the souls who have no one to pray for them. Remember that the month of November is set aside for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and they receive more graces during the month of November.

When we sin and repent of our sin (repentance means asking for forgiveness with the intent of not repeating the sin), God will forgive us but we still have to pay for the damage we caused due to the sin. The damage is the "stain" we leave on our souls when we sin. Even though we are forgiven, the stain remains.

It should be understood that when we sin, it produces two effects on our souls: the debt of guilt and the punishment due to that sin. We are guilty of both and deserve punishment. When we repent of our sin, the guilt is removed but the stain remains. The souls in Purgatory must expiate for their temporal punishment due to their past sins. When the debt is paid they acquire Heaven.

An indulgence is the remission of the penalty due to sin, or in other words, it is a ‘payment" to remove the stain of pain from our souls. The payment can be made through prayers, acts of charity, and acceptance of the suffering we endure throughout our lives. There are two types of indulgences: partial and plenary. A partial indulgence is the easiest one to obtain. It will remit a part of the penalty of the sins we have committed, while a plenary indulgence will remove all of the stains of sin in our soul.

In order to get a partial indulgence, we must have the intent of obtaining the indulgence, we must be in a state of grace (repented of all of our sins), and say the prayer or perform the act which would lead to an indulgence. We are permitted by the Church to get as many partial indulgences each day as we wish.

A plenary indulgence is more difficult to obtain. In addition to the conditions attached to a partial indulgence, we must go to Confession and receive Holy Communion. We must also pray for the intentions of the Pope by praying one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory be. A plenary indulgence can be obtained only once per day but those who are in danger of dying may receive a second plenary indulgence in the same day.

We can apply the indulgences to pay for the sins we have committed, OR we can apply those indulgences to remit the penalty of sins for the souls in Purgatory. When we give our indulgences to the holy souls, it will shorten their stay in Purgatory, give them some comfort, and may release them from Purgatory sooner if their soul is completely purified from the stains of sin.A partial indulgence given to the poor souls in Purgatory will shorten their time there, while a plenary indulgence has the great grace of completely purifying the soul and allowing them to immediately entering Heaven. Unfortunately, in order to be granted a plenary indulgence, we must be completely free from the stain of sin which is difficult to do. But we should always try. If the indulgence is not granted, it will at least be partial and will provide some benefit for the souls.It is a great act of charity and mercy to pray for the dead. The holy souls will not forget what we have done for them and they will repay us a thousand times over for all we do. May God have mercy on them and may we pray for them every day.

These Messages, prayers and promises were given to St. Elizabeth of Hungary

The Five Promises of Our Heavenly Mother to those who offer their lives to Her through "The Life Offering"

1. Their names will be written in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, inflamed by love.2. Their life offering, together with the infinite merits of Jesus, can save many souls from damnation. All souls who will live until the end of the world will benefit from their life offering.3. None of their family members will go to hell, even if it seems otherwise, because they will receive, in the depth of their souls, the grace of sincere contrition before their soul departs from their bodies.4. On the day they offer their lives, their loved ones suffering in Purgatory will be released.5. I will be with them at the hour of their death. They will not know Purgatory. I will carry their souls straight to the Presence of the Glorious Trinity, where they will live with me in a special place created by God and will rejoice forever.TEXT OF THE LIFE OFFERING should be made with a humble heart, firm resolution and clear intent. Make the Life Offering as soon as you feel ready and renew it from time to time:

"My dear Jesus, before the Holy Trinity, Our Heavenly Mother, and the whole Heavenly Court, united with your Most Precious Blood and your sacrifice on Calvary, I hereby offer my whole life to the intention of your Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Together with my life I place at your disposal all Holy Masses, all my Holy Communions, all my good deeds, all my sacrifices, and the sufferings of my entire life for the adoration and supplication of the Holy Trinity, for unity in our Holy Mother Church, for the Holy Father and priests, for good priestly vocations, and for all souls until the end of the world. Oh My Jesus, please accept my life sacrifice and my offerings and give me your grace that I may persevere obediently until my death. Amen."

News from the Central Office

A Prayer Warrior sent us the following: These are very evil times in which we live and everyone must be on guard. The Church has given us from Our Lord many weapons to help us in our daily battle against the prince of darkness. Jesus said that we should lay up riches for ourselves in heaven. Well, we always tell others who are in the world that they will never see a Wells Fargo or Brinks truck in a funeral possession.

The riches are Prayers, Masses, Communions, Novenas, Rosaries, etc. These are what go to judgment with us. Fasting, good works, etc help to offset the punishment due to our daily faults and failings which are very displeasing to God. Most priests today will not tell you that Venial Sin is just as serious in God's eyes as Mortal. Mortal however will condemn one forever from God's Holy sight because nothing but perfection can go before God! We try hard each day to member what Jesus said in Mathew: Every God’s Holy sight because nothing imperfect can go before God! We try hard every day to remember what Jesus said in Mathew: Every hair on our head has been counted.....Further God will not be mocked or fooled....Today, there is too much false compassion and it clouds good judgment. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are needed to keep one with a good and right conscience and discernment. We enjoy praying for the Holy Souls as they will never forget us. It is part of the real Christian brotherhood of Love: The Saints in Heaven, the Holy Souls being purified in Purgatory, and we, the Church Militant!

We, the Church Militant, have a duty to those yet in Purgatory - they have gone on ahead, yet they still need our help, and we can help them, even if we don't know them now, we will reap those graces, because when we pray for "the poor souls in Purgatory" - the Church Suffering - and offer Masses for them, and light candles for them, and pray Rosaries for them, we obtain unbelievable graces, for this act of spiritual mercy.

St. Alphonsus Liguori called it "A Christian Duty" to pray for the souls in Purgatory. He also said that St. Catherine of Bologna, "when she wished to obtain any grace, had recourse to the souls in Purgatory, and her prayers were heard immediately. She declared that, by praying to those holy souls, she obtained many favors which she had sought through the intercession of the saints without obtaining them. The graces which devout persons are said to have received through these holy souls are innumerable."

August–September 2009

Dear Friends of the Poor Souls,

We recently read about the Heroic Act of Love and would like to share it with you.

HEROIC ACT OF LOVE

This act consists in giving to the Souls in Purgatory all our works of satisfaction, that is to say, the satisfactory value of all the works of our life and of all the suffrages which shall be given to us after our death, without reserving anything to discharge our own debts. We deposit them in the hands of the Blessed Virgin, that she may distribute them, according to her good pleasure, to those souls which she desires to deliver from Purgatory.

It is an absolute donation in favor of the souls of all that we can give them; we offer to God in their behalf all the good we do, of what kind so ever, either in thought, words or works, all that we suffer meritoriously during this life, without accepting anything that we may reasonably give them, and adding even those suffrages which we may receive for ourselves after death.

Pope Benedict XIII, Pius VI, and Pius IX, have approved this heroic act, and have enriched it with indulgences and privileges, of which the principals are as follows:

I. The Indult of a Privileged Altar, personally, every day of the year to all priests who shall have made this offering.

II. A Plenary indulgence daily, applicable only to the departed, to all the faithful, who shall have made this offering, whenever they go to Holy Communion, provided they visit a church and pray for some time for the intention of his Holiness.

III. A Plenary indulgence, every Monday, to all who hear Mass in aid of the Souls in Purgatory, provided they fulfill the other conditions mentioned above.

It is recommended that all true Christians give to the faithful departed all the fruit of their good works which are at our disposal. We cannot make better use of them, since they render them more meritorious and more efficacious, as well as obtain grace from God for expiating our own sins and shortening the term of our Purgatory, or even acquiring an entire exemption there from.”

These words express the precious advantages of the Heroic Act; and in order to dissipate all subsequent fear which might arise in the mind, we add three remarks:

I. This act leaves us perfect liberty to pray for those souls in whom we are most interested; the application of these prayers is subject to the disposition of the will of God.

II. It does not oblige under pain of mortal sin, and can at any time be revoked. It may be made without using any particular formula; it suffices to have the intention, and to make it from the heart. Nevertheless it is useful to recite the formula of offering from time to time, in order to stimulate our zeal for the relief of the Holy Souls by prayer, penance, and good works.

III. The Heroic Act does not subject us to the consequences of having to undergo a long Purgatory ourselves; on the contrary, it allows us to rely with more assured confidence on the mercy of God in our regard, as is shown by the example of St. Gertrude.

It is related that St. Gertrude made a complete donation of all her works of satisfaction in favor of the faithful departed, without reserving anything to discharge the debts which she herself might have contracted in the sight of God. Being at the point of death, and, like all the saints, considering with much sorrow the great number of her sins on the one end, on the other, remembering that she had employed all her works of satisfaction for the expiation of the sins of others, she was afflicted, lest, having given all to others and reserved nothing for herself, her soul, on its departure from this world, should be condemned to horrible suffering. In the midst of her fears our Lord appeared to her and consoled her saying: “Be reassured, my daughter, your charity towards the departed will be no detriment to you. Know that the generous donation you have made of all your works to the Holy Souls has been singularly pleasing to me; and to give you a proof thereof, I declare to you that all the pains you would have had to endure in the other life are now remitted; moreover, in recompense for your generous charity, I will so enhance the value of the merits of your works as to give you a great increase of glory in Heaven.”

Reasons for Making the Heroic Act

1. You gain many indulgences.

2. Souls are released from Purgatory; Heaven is filled with new saints who will glorify and praise God for all eternity, also on your behalf.

3. You will have the promise of Our Lord applied to you: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt. 5, 7)

4. The Poor Souls will labor in Heaven that you may not be lost, nor suffer Purgatory at all, or at least be released from it soon.

5. The Blessed Virgin receives an increase of veneration, since she will be invoked as the Queen of the Poor Souls, and the dispenser of our merits to them. She will have a special affection for those who love and honor her in this way, both while they are in this world and after they have passed into eternity.

Formula of the Heroic Act“O Holy and Adorable Trinity, desiring to cooperate in the deliverance of the Souls in Purgatory, and to testify my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I give and renounce in behalf of those Holy Souls all the satisfactory part of my works, and all the suffrages which may be given to me after my death, consigning them entirely into the hands of the most Blessed Virgin, that she may apply them according to her good pleasure to those souls of the faithful departed which she desires to deliver from their sufferings. Deign, O my God, to accept and bless this offering which I make to Thee at this moment. Amen.”

News from the Central Office

We have received emails and letters from many of you asking when we will be sending out the next newsletter. I had been in the hospital for months and am still recuperating from my surgeries. I am starting to feel stronger so we are ready to continue with the newsletter. We have received your stipends for masses for the deceased and for the souls in Purgatory which we have taken care of. We also had requests to enroll names in the Golden Book which we have done. Please continue to send us the names of your friends and relatives to be enrolled.

Many of you have also had individual masses as well as the Gregorian Masses said for the souls of your departed loved ones. We have more priests that are available to say Gregorian Masses as well as individual masses for your loved ones.

If possible try to get seven relatives and friends to each take a day of the week and pray for the relief of the Poor Souls. How quickly we could empty Purgatory!

Please check out our website and help make the Holy Souls more known. Should you have any suggestions or wish to contribute any poems or testimonies, please do not hesitate to contact us.